KNOW YOUR INGREDIENTS
Chefs Thomas Zacharias, Paul Kinny and Ashish Bhasin share a checklist of less-used local ingredients, and tell you why you should cook with them. Pui saag (Basella alba) and bathua (Chenopodium album) – Flavourful, earthy substitutes for spinach; use to make Cheel Bhaji or add to raita. Green Tuvar (pigeon pea), Mung
Bean Sprouts – Interesting addition to salads.
Mugri, Hara Chana - Great when mixed into a traditional kachumber
Kohlrabi – Roast, grill or boil and add to curries or salads.
Kathal (jackfruit) - Has a certain meat-like character when cooked, making it a great vegetable to add to curries. Patthar ke phool (black stone
flower) – A lot like peppercorn, with a nutty, peppery flavour; can be used for flavouring meat as well as vegetables.
1. Curry leaves 2. Hibiscus flower 3. Mung bean sprouts 4. Pui saag leaves 5. Black soya bean
Curry leaves – Traditionally used to temper leaves; instead, blend with mint leaves to override the bitterness and use as a marinade.
Bhatta ki dal - A black bean lentil from Uttarakhand that is rich in protein; use it to make churkani.
Gaderi – A kind of root vegetable that only grows in the Himalayas.
Harsil rajma - Smaller than regular kidney beans, they originate from Harsil, Uttarakhand; use them for their cancer-preventing properties. Arbi Patta (Colocasia leaves) – Rich in dietary fibre, iron and potassium, they can be used to make a farcan called patra.
Hadga flowers – Also known as bokful flowers, they are useful for curing headaches, but are widely used in Asian cooking.
Hibiscus flowers – Lowers blood pressure; best consumed as candied garnish, or in the form of tea.
Bhatt Ki Churkani
(A black bean curry that originated in Uttarakhand; it is authentically cooked in a cast iron kadhai and is rich in protein and iron)
INGREDIENTS
150 g black soya bean 45 g besan 30 g tomato 5 g garlic
5 g ginger 250 ml refined oil 10 g salt 2 g turmeric
5 g green chilli paste 5g ginger garlic paste 2 g red chilli powder 5 g coriander powder
5 g coriander roots 5 g roasted cumin powder
METHOD
Heat oil in cast iron kadhai, add garlic and black bean to it and allow it to crackle. Drain the remaining oil and leave a little oil in kadhai. Add besan to it and cook it till it turns brown in colour. Add all powder masala, chop ginger, ginger-garlic paste, coriander roots and tomatoes to it. Add water to it and cook for 15 minutes in slow flame.